NOTE: Runners up listed in alphabetical order
Best Local Original Band
Joywave. joywavemusic.com
Runners up: Ack! | Teagan and the Tweeds | Tommy Brunett Band | RootsCollider
Best Local Cover Band
The Skycoasters. skycoasters.com
Runners up: Cherry Bomb | Hall Pass | Something Else
Best Local Solo Musician
Teagan Ward. teaganward.com
Runners up: Johnny Bauer | Mikaela Davis | Skooba
Best Local ClassicalMusician/Group
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. rpo.org
Runners up: Eastman Philharmonia | Eastman Saxophone Project | Paul O’Dette | Rochester Oratorio Society | Sound ExChange | Ying Quartet
Best Local Album of 2014
“Searching Game” by Teagan and the Tweeds. teaganandthetweeds.com
Runners up: “Fortune Teller” by Mikaela Davis | “How Do You Feel?” by Joywave | “Love People” by Red Letter Statement | “Ontario Girls” by Pleistocene
Best Music Concert of 2014 (Arena/Large Venue)
Ben Folds with the RPO @ CMAC.
Runners up: Black Keys @ Blue Cross | Bonsai @ Sahlen’s Stadium | Luke Bryan @ CMAC | Queens of the Stone Age @ Main Street Armory
Best Music Concert of 2014 (Club/Small Venue)
Lou Gramm @ Bands @ Barnard.
Runners up: Chris Pureka @ Bug Jar | Fitz and the Tantrums @ Water Street | Joywave @ The Bug Jar
Best Live Music Venue
CMAC. 3355 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua, 394-4400, cmacevents.com
Runners up: Abilene | Bug Jar | Water Street Music Hall
Best Club DJ
DJ Kalifornia. djkalifornia.net
Runners up: DJ Alykhan | DJ Darkwave | DJ Ease | DJ Naps | Tim Tones
Best Local Author
Frank De Blase. frankdeblase.com
Runners up: Charles Benoit | Tony Leuzzi | Linda Sue Park
Best Local Theatrical Production
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” @ Highland Bowl.
Runners up: “The 39 Steps” @ Geva | “The Normal Heart” @ JCC | “The Odd Couple” @ Geva
Best Musical Theater Production of 2014
“Phantom of the Opera” @ RBTL.
Runners up: “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” @ Geva | “Bonnie & Clyde” @ Stageworks | “Hairspray” @ JCC | “Nunsence” @ Blackfriars Theatre | “Once” @ Auditorium Theater
Best Local Theater Company
Geva Theatre Center. 75 Woodbury Boulevard, 232-4382, gevatheatre.org
Runners up: Blackfriars | JCC | Stageworks
Best Local Comedian/Comedy Group
GEVA Comedy Improv. gevacomedyimprov.org
Runners up: Nuts and Bolts | Vinnie Paulino | Sky Sands | Marianne Sierk | Ralph Tetta
Best Local Comedy Show
The Comedy Club. 2235 Empire Boulevard, Webster, 671-9080, thecomedyclub.us
Runners up: Geva Comedy Improv | Goo House at the Bug Jar | Joke Factory | Open Mic at Boulder Coffee
Best Local Dance Company
Garth Fagan. 50 Chestnut Street, 454-3260, garthfagandance.org
Runners up: Groove Juice Swing | One Dance Company | Rochester City Ballet
Best Local Artist
Sarah Rutherford. sarahrutherford.net
Runners up: John Bertolone | Cordell Cordaro | Mark Groaning | Michael Moncinaiz aka St. Monci | Brian O’Neill | Mr. PRVRT
Best Art Exhibit of 2014
Wall/Therapy. wall-therapy.com
Runners up: 6x6x2014 @ RoCo | Boys vs Girls @ 1975 & The Yards | MUSE by Brian O’Neill @ Roc City Ballet
Best Art Gallery
Memorial Art Gallery. 500 University Avenue, 276-8900, mag.rochester.edu
Runners up: 1975 | Artisan Works | Rochester Contemporary Art Center
Best Mural
Steve Carpenter, “Four Seasons” in the Village Gate. 274 North Goodman Street, 442-9061, villagegatesquare.com
Runners up: Karen Flack, farm scene at Village Bakery | Shawnee Hill, “Evening Star” at Fuego Coffee | Caitlin Yarsky, “Andy and the Big Dead Waltz” at Boulder Coffee
Best Local Photographer
Gerry Szymanski. gerryszymanski.com
Runners up: Hannah Betts | Tammy Swales | Aaron Winters
Best Filmmaker
Ben Gonyo. fishandcrown.com
Runners up: Matthew Ehlers | Chris Hogan-Roy | Paul Rapalee
Best Film Festival
Rochester International Film Festival. rochesterfilmfest.org
Runners up: High Falls Film Festival | ImageOut Film Festival | Rochester Jewish Film Festival
Best Movie Theater
The Little. 240 East Avenue, 258-0400, thelittle.org
Runners up: Cinema | Dryden Theater | Pittsford Cinema
Best Local Family-Friendly Attraction
Strong National Museum of Play. 1 Manhattan Square Drive, 263-2700, museumofplay.org
Runners up: Seabreeze | Seneca Park Zoo | Lollypop Farm
Best Local Music Festival
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival. rochesterjazz.com
Runners up: East End Music Festival | Fairport Music and Food Festival | Party in the Park
Best Local Arts Festival
Lilac Festival. rochesterevents.com
Runners up: Clothesline | Corn Hill Arts Festival | Park Avenue Art Fest
Best Local Special Event
Lilac Festival. rochesterevents.com
Runners up: Food Truck Rodeo | First Niagara Rochester Fringe Festival | Park Avenue Fest | Jazz Festival | Big Rib BBQ & Blues Festival
Best Local Drag Performer
Darienne Lake. dariennelake.com
Runners up: Aggy Dune | DeeDee DuBois | Mrs. Kasha Davis | Samantha Vega
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2014.
